Decarbonizing the Food Supply Chain in Emerging Market Economies: A Transition Management Framework for Carbon Neutrality

ABSTRACT Decarbonizing the food supply chain in emerging market economies is vital for meeting national and global carbon neutrality commitments. This study identifies 15 key challenges hindering this transition and examines their structural interrelationships using interpretive structural modeling. The results identify lack of robust government policies and regulations, lack of low‐carbon facilities, and lack of R&D capabilities as the most influential challenges hindering the decarbonization transition. Grounded in transition management theory, these challenges are hierarchically organized into three interconnected transition levels: formulating carbon neutrality programs, deploying carbon neutrality measures, and implementing carbon neutrality practices. Further, based on the best‐worst method and VIKOR analyses, strategies including policy and regulatory framework, supply chain optimization and digitalization, and research and innovation ecosystem emerge as the highest‐priority strategic interventions. Thus, this study provides a theoretically grounded and practically actionable roadmap for businesses, policymakers, and other stakeholders seeking to accelerate the transition toward a carbon‐neutral food supply chain.